JERUSALEM—A 70-year-old woman was stabbed, and moderately to seriously wounded as she attempted to board a bus just outside of Jerusalem’s central bus station during the afternoon rush hour today.
The woman’s life may have been saved, police said, by an alert Egged bus driver, who saw the attack occur and made sure the woman got on to the bus after she was stabbed, and then quickly closed the vehicle’s door so the terrorist could not board. The attacker attempted to flee, but was shot dead by police.
Dr. Yoni Elstein, a Magen David Adom volunteer who was at the scene, boarded the bus to treat the victim. “She was sitting next to the driver, bleeding but fully conscious, with stab wounds to her upper body,” he told The Times of Israel. “We gave her medical treatment and sent her to the hospital. She is in moderate to serious condition.”
The terrorist was identified as Ahmed Fathi Abu Sha’aban, 26, of Ras al-Amoud in eastern Jerusalem. He was reportedly recently released from Israeli prison after serving three years on terror charges.
An hour earlier, security forces in Jerusalem shot and killed a knife-wielding Palestinian who ran to attack a security guard escorting a family walking through the Damascus Gate, which some visitors take to visit the Kotel (Western Wall).The Shin Bet identified the terrorist as Bassem Sider, 19, of Hebron.
Another possible attack may have been thwarted by police earlier in the day when a bus transporting Arab residents from the Shuafat refugee camp was searched. A police dog was able to identify a knife carefully wrapped and hidden underneath one of the seats. A 24-year-old man who was traveling alone with an infant was arrested, and the child was returned to his family.
Today’s incidents followed a series of attacks that has left seven Israelis dead and scores wounded since the beginning of October.
Continued Calls for Mitzvahs, Torah Study and Prayer
In Israel, the Chabad-Lubavitch Youth Organization encouraged Jews the world over to join in the effort of encouraging others to don tefillin for the sake of the safety of the Jewish people.
There were also calls by rabbinic leaders around the world for increases in Torah study, prayer and other mitzvahs, in addition to donning tefillin. For suggestions of what Jewish people around the world can do to help their brethren in Israel, read the article 6 Things You Can Do for Israel Today here.
The tefillin campaign comes in light of instructions given by the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, who had issued a similar call during other dangerous times in Israel. Before the outbreak of the June 1967 war, for example, the Rebbe prompted an active campaign for Jewish males over the age of 13 to perform the mitzvah of tefillin.
Wrapping tefillin is part of the Rebbe’s 10 mitzvah campaigns introduced between the years of 1967 and 1976, which formed the platform upon which the Rebbe’s far-reaching program to revitalize Jewish life and observance throughout the world was built.
The laying of tefillin instills fear in the enemy, explain the sages of the Talmud, quoting: “Then all the peoples of the earth will see that the name of the Lord is called upon you, and they will fear you.” (Deuteronomy 28:10).
Psalms and Other Assistance for the Wounded
The Chabad Terror Victims Project (ctvp.org), Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries and volunteers are continuing their work of encouraging and assisting the wounded in the recent attacks in Israel. They are lifting morale and trying to cheer them up with gifts and encouragement, in addition to providing emergency financial aid for those who need it.
The public is asked to continue their prayers for the wounded.
Here is a list as of Monday afternoon. Names will be added and deleted as they become available.
Odel bat Miryam
Natan ben Odel
Moshe ben Orli
Meir Yitzchak ben Sarah Imeinu
Aharon Moshe Chaim ben Chaya Chana
Dvir ben Shoshana
Avraham ben Rut
Ron Shai bat Sigalit
Sahar bat Shoshana
Adi ben Rut
Niv ben Yardana
Moshe ben Daisy
Meor Ephraim ben Fortuna Daniella
Moshe ben Edgach
Liat bat Yael
Orel bat Limor
Yosef Chaim ben Zahava
For more news, opinion, inspiration, advice and first-person articles on the October, 2015 Wave of Terror in Israel, visit the special Chabad.org section here.
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